Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-10-28

OF poker"
"No, no." said Hamilton promptly.
II should be agreeable-in fact |
should enjoy it-but Mr.. Applebee is
is under my friendly guidance, and |
feel that | have no
"Hol' on, ole fellow!" interrupted
Seth. almost Indignantly. D'you
s'pose l can't play poker? Ho! shove
along the buck (hick), an Ill show
you!"
"Good! That's glorious.." said Gus.
tbs, happily. We'll have a nice
little time all to ourselves. And, say,
Applebee, old fellow, don't 60 to play
ing any of your Pumpton tricks on
u.s."
"Ohl I'll play square, don't you
fear"
Aud they went at it. Seth had
found the elephant, but he did not
know it, He knew it not then,
though he had reminder of the tact
latter.
He had fallen in with three confed-
crates, whose business it was to en-
trap and fleece whomsoever they
could-three black legs of the most
unscr upulous yet accomplished char
acter. Perhaps a sharp-eyed news
paper man, or q keen policeman of
experience, might have detected
something of their character in their
faces and general appearance, but the
casual observer could not have seen
it,
The man called Hamilton had
spotted the victim when he landed on
the pier, and had not again lost sight
of him. In his conversation with
him in the Office of the hotel be had
learned that he-Seth come to
the city to purchase large quantity
of goods; and, furthermore, that he
would pay cash fer them. That was
enough. The man who had the cash
for such goods as the Pumpton mer.
chant contemplated purchasing was
the man wanted.
The man called Custis had been on
the sidewalk, and Hamilton had
brushed against him, as they left
the public house. Then Custs had
gone and notified the man called
Alec Astor. And 50, in the end,
the elephant had been brought
| forth.
At first Seth won small sums. Then
he drank another rum aud brandy
pucch. By and by the stakes in
creased; and at length came the grand
turning point.
A hand-fve carlsbad been
dealt to Seth which was wonderful.
Four jacks He couldn't let it pass
He bet the last dollar he had. Custis
"saw him." and raised him" hun
dred dollars, that is-bet a hundred
more. Seth must cover it, or lose all
he had put on the board, and give up
that magnificent hand 1t was by
far the best hand that had appeared
during the evening.
What dc you do, Applebee?"
"Say-I've got check-I'll put
that down for hundred dollars, and
call"
"Then you won't go a hundred
better?"
Yes. by tn under! l will! l see
that hundred, and I'll-go-I'll-go
you five hundred betterw
What's the amount of the
check?"
"Three thousand dollars! l rather
-(hic)--think that's good"
"All right. Suppose l cash it,"
"That'll do"
The check was cashed.
The five hundred dollars which
Seth had bet was covered by an equal
amount. and Custis raised it thou.
sand more Seth looked at his hand.
Could he let it GO? No. He SAW
the thousand-covered it with a
thousand dollars Of his own, and
called.
what you got?"
Custis threw down four queens
Alasl for Seth's poor jacks But he
would not give it up SO. His friend
Hamilton, who sympathlzed with
him deeply, and promised to see him
safe through it, advised him to have
his revenge-to go at Custis and AS
tor with all the pluck he could mus.
ter. And he took the advice
He drank more rum-and. brandy
punch, and played on-played until
his friend Hamilton took him by the
arm and led him to he'd, promising to
call in the morning and six matters
The morning came, finding Seth
about as miserable and unhappy as
it is possible for man to be. He
soaked his head in cold water, and
sat down and thought. After a
time he remembered the scene-re-
membered enough to tell him what
the whole had been. 1t was ten
o'clock before he gave up the friend
ship of Hamilton entirely. BY that
time the truth was known to him
He possessed of his three thousand
eight hundred dollars, just a fifty
dollar bank noto, which Hamilton
had put into his hand the last thing
before leaving him
Ha! thought, at length, of the
check. Could he stop its payment?
Alasl he was too late. 1t had been
cashed not ten minutes before his ar
rival the bank
SO he went home, and after spend-
ing d week in bed, really aud truly
sick, he told to his old aunt the
whole terrible story. Perhaps the
old lady did wrong, but she felt in
her heart that her dear boy had been
punished sufficiently, and she did not
believe that he could ever again be
led into error through the sin of gam
bling After time she gave him
J another check, Of which he made such
good and profitable use that, at the
end of three years, he was able to pay
back to her the full amount of that
which he had expended in Seeing the
Elephant.
We trust this simple sketch may
be of use to some who read it. May
it lead the stranger in the great city
to be on his guard continually, and
never accept the guidance of Il man
whom he does not thoroughly under
stand -SylUanus Cobb, Jr., IN NeU
| York Ledqer